Railway-frog



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2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I N. RATGHPORD & L. D. EVANS. RAILWAY FROG.

No. 434,525. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N.- RATOHFORD & L. D. EVANS. RAILWAY FROG No. 434,525. Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

1 By Zeww YZEVa ATTORNEY.

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS RATCHFORD AND LEWIS D. EVANS, OF PLAIN CITY, OHIO.

RAI LWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,525, dated August '19, 1890. Application filed August 17,1889. Serial No. 821,128. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, NICHOLAS RATCHFORD and LEWIS D. EVANS, citizens of the United States, residing at Plain City, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to railway-frogs; and the objects of our invention are to provide railways with a superior form of frog so constructed as to admit of its use in connection with ordinary forms of main and side tracking, to preventunnecessary wear on the frog by so constructing the frog as to prevent cars which are passing over the main track from running upon the frog-rail, to provide the frog-plate with a rail-section which will be automatically shifted across the main-track rail when the frog is in use, to admit of its use in connection with continuous main-track rails, to so construct the same as to prevent its operation being impaired by snow or ice, and to construct the same in a strong and durable manner. These objects we accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompan ying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved frog shown in connection with the main track. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the frog shifting-rail section and frog-plate, showing a portion of the main-track and guard rail. Fig. 3'is a plan View in detail of a portion of the side-track guard-rail, the shifting-rail rod, and its spring, with the outer side-track rail and intervening trip-rail removed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 00 mof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an inner side elevation of the outer rail of the side track, showing the trip-rail connected therewith. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 3/ y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 2 z of Fig. 5.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. v

a and a represent, respectively, the outer and inner rails of the main track.

, 1) represents an oblong frog-plate, the base of which is secured to the ties in such manner as to bring its body parallel with and against the outer side of the main-track rail a. The upper surface of the body of the frog-plate is, as shown, flush with the upper surfaces of the main-track rails. crepresents a bar or section of rail of a width corresponding with that of the upper portion of the trackrail. the upper side of the frog-plate adjoining the outer side thereof and a short distance from the main-track rail (1.. The rear end of this shifting rail is thickened downwardly and has projecting outwardly from said thickened portion a lug c, which is seated loosely within a suitable recess or depression formed in the upper side of the outwardly-projecting rear portion of the frog-plate. The lug c of the shifting rail is pivoted in this position by means of a short pin or bolt d made to pass through a vertical bolt-hole formed in the outwardly-projecting rear portion of the frogplate, said bolt-hole being of slightly-greater circumference than the bolt or pin cl.

Coiled about that portion of the bolt d which is within the frog-plate b is a spring e, having its lowerend rigidly secured to the frog-plate and having its upper end projectin g upwardly through the bolt-hole of the lug c and bent outwardly into a short groove formed in the upper surface of said lug. A nut f, screwed upon the upper projecting end of the bolt d, operates to hold the shifting-rail lug against the frog-plate. The tension of the spring e is such as to normally hold the shifting rail away from and parallel with the main-track rail a. The forward end of the shifting rail is, as shown, beveled outwardly to a half-wedge shape.

g represents the inner side-track rail, which approaches the forward end of the frog-plate from a switch in a diagonal line between the two main-track rails. \Vhen at a point opposite the forward beveled end of the shifting rail, theside-track rail g is bent in a line parallel with the main-track rail and terminates a short distance from said bend. As it approaches the main-track rail and frog-plate, the inner side-track rail g is gradually elevated by blocks placed upon the ties until that portion thereof which is opposite the shifting rail is of a height corresponding with said shifting rail. A rail g, having its end in close proximity to the rear end of the shifting rail 0, is made torun outwardly at a slight angle with the main-track rail a and forms,

This rail-section c, as shown, rests upon as hereinafter described, a straight continuation of the diagonal portion of the rail g. This rail g has its end blocked up to a height corresponding with the rails c and g and gradually inclines downwardly therefrom.

It represents the outer side-track rail, which runs parallel with the inner rails g g. Bunning parallel with the side rail h and on the inner side thereof is a guard-rail section 1'.

It represents a trip-rail, formed of two metallic plates or bars, having their adjoining ends j ointedlyconnected at as shown. The upper half of this trip-rail is of but slight thickness, while its lower half is thickened to correspond with the space between the upper sides of the rails h and 2'. The ends of the trip-rail k are pivotally connected with the inner side of the side rail him such position as to bring the center of the length of said trip-rail transversely opposite the shifting rail 0. The pivot bolt or pin which connects .one end of the trip-rail with the rail h is pivoted within a slot h, formed in the end of the trip-rail, thus admitting of the central portion of the trip-rail being lowered, as hereinafter described.

As shown in Fig. 40f the drawings, the under side of the trip-rail at about the center of its length is made to bear upon a lug or head m, projecting upwardly between the lower portions of the rails i and h from the outer end of the upper arm of a bell-crank lever 1. This lever Z is pivoted at a point beneath the lower flange of the rail 2' between two parallel transverse-arms n, which are supported as shown, between the ties by a crossarm a.

Jointedly connected with a lug a", projecting from the under side of the shifting rail 0 at a point below its top flange, is a lever-rod 0, which extends outwardly and thence downwardly, and again outwardly to a point beneath the rails t' and h and beneath the bellerank Z. The lower arm on of the bell-crank is pivoted within a slot formed in the rear and slightly-enlarged portion of the rod 0. An outward continuation 0' of the rod 0 from the outer end of its enlarged slotted portion is made to pass loosely through a slot formed in the lower portion of a plate n which extends downwardly from the outer edge of the cross-platen. This continuation of the rod 0 is provided on its outer end with a fixed nut or head 0 and with a washer p, adjoining the outer side of the plate n Coiled about this rod-continuation and bearing between the washer p and head 0 is a spring q. The tension of this spring q is such as to normally hold the lug m of the bell-crank elevated, as shown in Fig. 4; of the drawings, sufiiciently to support the upper portion of the trip-rail above the upper surfaces of the rails h and 2'. That portion of the rails h and i opposite the shifting rail 0 and the elevated portions of the rails g and g are blocked up to a height corresponding therewith.

In order to fully understand the operation and advantages of our improved frog, we will suppose that atrain is running upon the main track. It being desired to side-track the cars, the engine and cars are disconnected and the cars directed by a switch in the usual manner on the side-track rails g and h after the passing of said switch by the engine. Owing to the fact that the frog-rail c is not in connection with the main track a, and that the latter is continuous, it will be seen that the engine will travel up the main track past the frog-rail without running upon or coming in contact with the frog-rail. The detached cars which have been switched upon the side track advance upon the rails g and it until the outer wheels of the ears run upon and press downward the trip-rail 7t. This trip-rail is so seated upon the bell-crank lug m that the pressure thus caused upon said trip-rail will operate to trip said bell-crank lever suificiently to.

throw inward the rod 0 with which it is connected. This inward movement of the rod 0 will, through its connection with the shifting rail 0, operate to drive the forward beveled end of the latter into line with the rail 9 at that point where it is bent in a parallel line with the main track.

A depression or cross-channel v" is formed in the upper side of the frog-plate opposite the point of connection of the shifting rail.

and rod 0 to allow free inward movement of the shifting-rail lug 1". In executing this movement the rear end of the shifting rail turns on its pivotrbolt, while its forward portion slides over the upper side of the frogplate, and the rail 0/ thus forming a complete crossing of the latter and producing an intervening continuation of the rails g and g, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The compression of the spring q between the washer p and rod-head 0 caused by the above-described movement of the rod 0 will place said spring under suflicient tension to again draw outward the rod 0 and rail 0 when the trip-rail has been released from the weight of the cars, and said trip-rail will again resume its normal position. The forward end of the frog-plate bis, as shown, provided with a downwardly and forwardly beveled guard-head of the height of the shifting rail, which will prevent the forward end of the shifting rail from becoming engaged with a chain or other car attachment which may be depending from the cars. The rail 0 in turning to meet the rail 9 will cause the coiled spring 6, through the movement of the pivotbolt d, to be placed under such tension that in case the spring q should become disabled the springe will be sufiicient to withdraw the rail 0 to its normal position after the passing of the cars. It will be seen that the upper side ofthe frog-plate is of such width as to meet the main-track rail, and thus prevent the entrance of snow and ice between said plate and rail. The passage of the engine or car wheels over the main-track rail a will operate through thefianges of said wheels to press downward or remove the, snow which may have accumulated between the parallel portion of the rail g and main-track rail, and thus prevent any obstruction of the free movement of the shifting rail and allowing it to make a perfect connection with the sidet-raek rail.

Although the form of spring mechanism herein shown for the purpose of withdrawing the shifting rail to its normal position is pref:

erable, it is obvious that other forms might be used to accomplish this purpose. It is also obvious that the particular shapes of castings and parts herein shown and described may be altered without affecting the principle of our invention.

By the herein-described construction and operation it will be seen that when the frog is in use a complete bridging or crossing of the main-track rail is effected, which will thereby prevent the unnecessary use and wear upon the main-track rail. It will also be seen that when the main track is in use the frog-rail is thrown completely to one side, and is not, as is usual, worn by the traveling thereon of cars upon the main track.

Our improved frog and its operating mechanism may be connected with the main track of a railway at any desired point without the necessity of removing or altering the maintrack rails.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the continuous main-track rails a a, the side-track rails, and

a fixed frog base plate adjacent to and of the height of said main-track rails, of a shiftingrail section 0, pivoted upon said frog-plate, and a spring 6, coiled and supported, as described, about said shifting-rail pivot-bolt,

I said shifting rail being adapted to be pressed across the inner main-track rail into line with the inner side-track rail, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the main and side track rails, a fixed frog or base plate adjacent to and of the height/of said main-track rails, andthe spring-actuated shifting rail 0, pivoted upon said frog-plate, of the hinged and slotted trip-rail is, pivoted, as described, to the inner side of the outer side-track rail, the guardrailc', bell-crank lever Z, pivoted between two arms a, supported beneath rails h and i and supporting, as described, the trip-rail 1c, and a spring-actuated rod 0, jointedly connecting said shifting rail 0 and lower bell-crank arm m, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

3. The combination, with the main and side track rails a a, fixed frog-plate 1), adj acentto and of the height of the main-track rails, and the shifting rail 0, pivoted, as described, upon said frog-plate, of the hinged andslotted triprail is, pivoted, as described, to the innerside of the outer side-track rail, the side -track guide-rail i, bell-crank lever l, pivoted between two frame-arms a, supported beneath rails h and 'i and supporting, as described, the trip-rail 7c, rod 0, jointedly connecting shifting rail 0 and lower bell-crank arm m, a ver tical frame-piece n depending from a crossarm 01' extending between two ties, said frame-piece n having a slot in its lower end through which passes an outer continuation of the rod 0, a washerp on said rod-continuation and bearing against frame-piece M, and

a coiled spring q, surrounding said rod-continuation between the washer p, and a nut or enlargement 0 upon the outer end of said rod, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the continuous main-track railsa and a of a fixed frog-plate on base Z), adjacent to and of the height of said rail a, of the shifting-rail section 0, pivoted upon said frog plate and adapted to be automatically pressed across said rail a into line with the inner side-track rail when a car is passing upon the side track over the frog In presence of- O. W. ALDRICH, C. O. SHEPHERD. 

